SEE WHAT IT TAKES

A Crew that Rocks

Only a handful of days before the start of the World of Concrete trade show, not only are the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center completely barren, so is the venue’s Gold Lot, which serves as the gridiron for the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500®. What starts out as a flat sheet of asphalt that spans nearly a country acre, in less than five days this parking lot is swiftly transformed into the “Mother of all Stadiums” for the Super Bowl of Bricklaying. It’s a feat that can only be achieved by a crew that rocks!

Much like a crew of roadies setting the stage for the infamous Lollapalooza rock concert, between 8 to 10 Mudslingers (a.k.a. SPEC MIX salesmen) fly into Vegas five days before the WOC/WOM kicks off to build the arena fit to showcase “MASONRY MADNESS™ Day”—the masonry industry’s one-day gig that includes four separate competitions. In chronological order, the battles are: MCAA MASONRY SKILLS CHALLENGE, SPEC MIX TOUGHEST TENDER, MCAA FASTEST TROWEL ON THE BLOCK, and the headliner SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500.

Unlike Rock’ n Roll Roadies that handle and stage countless speakers and amps, SPEC MIX Mudslingers stage literally tons of masonry materials and equipment that amount to the construction requirements for a small commercial building. Starting with the masonry units used for MASONRY MADNESS Day and finishing with large and small tools, below are some of the items the Mudslingers must have ready to go when the start whistle blows.

  • • 105 competitors
  • • 48 judges
  • • 214 jerseys
  • • 21,000 brick
  • • 4,600 Arizona Best Block 8” CMU
  • • 38 cubic yards of SPEC MIX Type N mortar
  • • 4 SPEC MIX silo systems
  • • 48,600 square feet of US Fabric ground cover
  • • 2,112 lineal feet of materials plank
  • • 200 Gatorback mortarboards
  • • 35 MultiQuip mud tubs
  • • 315 sponsor banners
  • • 130 lineal feet of Hydro Mobile Mast Climbers

Those who have witnessed the SPEC MIX Mudslingers in action would have to agree they are some of the hardest working guys in the Masonry Industry. Although 99% of their time is spent selling SPEC MIX mortars and grouts in their local markets, they’re also the same guys that dedicate long hours to planning and executing state and regional masonry promotional events. Whether it’s a Mason Contractor golf outing, apprenticeship or skills challenge, SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 Regional contest, or a state Fastest Trowel on the Block competition, the SPEC MIX Mudslingers never turn down the opportunity to promote the masonry trade and all the craftsmen doing the work.

This article is not the Mudslinger’s application to the BASF “Crews That Rock” contest; they’re much too humble for that, but it certainly proves these guys pour their hearts and souls into making the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 the most rock’n event the World of Concrete has to offer.